Hey! This is my second Sailor Moon fic, but this time it's an actual multi-chapter fic and a sequel project happening a little after the fifth arc "Sailor Moon Sailor Stars". This fic mostly follows the anime canon with some manga elements (like the very end of Sailor Stars with Sailor Cosmos, Rei's personality is closer to the manga, and more manga characters may appear), but overall, it's mostly following the anime story. I hope you'll like it.

Originally posted on AO3

"Dear Mamo-chan. I'm glad your flight went well and you arrived safely in America. Receiving your letter filled me with joy and relief. I'm happy that you can finally start your journey to achieve your dream. I'll have you on my mind every day and pray for your success in your studies and hope to have news from you soon.

signed, your dear Usako"

Usagi sighed. It had only been barely a week and she already missed her beloved Mamoru. She knew his dream was to become a doctor and he had been accepted in one of the best universities, but part of her wished he would have stayed. With what happened not so long ago with Galaxia, she couldn't help but feel unease whenever her boyfriend was away from her. And she just loved him so much that she couldn't bear being away from him even for a second.

Usagi read it one last time before folding her letter and slipped it inside an envelope as she was on her way home. Today she received her grade for her latest exam and the result wasn't great and she really didn't want to go home right away just to get yelled at by her mom.

But a growl coming from her belly made her doubt her decision.

" Ugh… I'm so hungry…! I woke up late and had to skip breakfast and my lunch really wasn't enough… and I don't have any money on me. Should I just go home to grab a snack and risk facing my mom's fury…? "

Usagi continued to ponder on her way to the mailbox, still tormented by the rumbling in her stomach that just kept getting louder.

"Usagi-chan, look out!" Luna told her.

Walking by her side was her faithful feline companion, whispering to her. Usagi abruptly stopped right before she could collide with another person.

Usagi came face to face with a woman seeming in her twenties that couldn't be described as anything other than stunning. She was tall, even more than Mako, perhaps even around Haruka's height. But unlike them, she wasn't masculine at all. She was beautiful and elegant, the summon of femininity. Gorgeous wavy long light blue hair that looked so soft and glossy, pure white skin that seemed transparent, and eyes shining like blue crystals. She was dressed modestly but classy with an elegant touch. Contrasting her look she was holding a paper bag that seemed filled with snacks.

Before Usagi could apologize for nearly bumping into her a loud growl came out from her stomach.

"Ahh… sorry," she said, blushing from embarrassing herself in front of such a beautiful woman.

"How… awful," the woman suddenly mumbled.

"Eh?"

"Poor girl… you must be starving!" the woman exclaimed with pity in her eyes. "How long haven't you eaten?"

"Uh… maybe 4-"

"Forty minutes!?"

"...Four hours I think? Since lunchtime."

"This is unacceptable! You're still growing, you shouldn't skip your fifth meal of the day like that…"

"... Eh? What?"

"Here, take this, you poor soul."

Without letting Usagi say more, the woman plunged her hand into the paper bag and pulled out a rather tasty-looking doughnut. Usagi could feel her stomach rumble even more as the woman handed it to her.

"Ah… Are you sure?"

"Of course! I ate plenty already," the woman said with a gracious smile.

Usagi didn't insist with any vain politeness and seize the object of her desire. She hungrily bit into it without any consideration for how she may look like. Elegance didn't matter when one was hungry, Usagi would probably say.

"My my, you must have been quite hungry," the woman said with amusement.

As soon as she finished her doughnut Usagi realized with embarrassment how she must look like right now. She quickly reached for her handkerchief and wiped her face cleaned, red from shame.

"S-Sorry…"

"There's no need to me. As I said, I already ate plenty so one less isn't a big deal."

" That's not what I mean…! Also, how can this woman eat so much pastry and be so lean! I'm so jealous, so frustrating! " Usagi thought quietly.

Usagi wiped out the last smudge on her cheek when suddenly, the woman reached for her hair.

"...Eh?"

"So cute!" the woman exclaimed. "Those bun pigtails! They look just like odango ! Ah, it makes me hungry again…"

She said that as she was softly squeezing one of Usagi's buns. Maybe this woman was a weirdo after all, Usagi thought.

"...Haha… I… I have to go, I have… something to do… goodby-"

"Oh, does it have something to do with this letter you're holding? Are you going to mail it?" the woman inquired.

"Ah… yeah… I'm sending it to my lover… He's studying in America to become a doctor…"

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! Young love is a wonderful thing!" the woman replied with enthusiasm as she checked her watch. "Speaking of that, my own lover must be waiting for me. I'll be giving you my support from afar- Here, take another one, for luck!"

She handed another doughnut to Usagi who took it without hesitation.

"T-Thanks…" she said, not knowing how a pastry was related to luck, but she'd be damn if she refused any free food, especially something so delicious when she was hungry.

"Seeya, Bun Head!"

"Ah-"

But before Usagi could say her name or even ask for hers, the woman had already left.

Really, what a strange and mysterious lady she was, Usagi was left pondering as she munch on her doughnut.

"Her lover huh… such a beautiful and elegant woman must have a really handsome boyfriend," Usagi said.

"You should consider going home soon, Usagi-chan," Luna reminded her.

"No way, not with mom who's just gonna get mad at me over my exam result! I want to see what her boyfriend looks like!" Usagi exclaimed. "Right after I mailed this letter to my own boyfriend of course."

"Usagi-chan…"

"Mina, you're not listening…"

"I am, I am!" Minako replied nonchalantly, walking on the sideway. "I'll get to work soon, but first I wanna pass by Rei-chan's place…!"

"You have procrastinated enough on your studies already," Artemis reprimanded.

"I know! But with all those exams I haven't had the chance to see Rei-chan much lately! Sheesh, being in a separate school really is a bummer sometimes…"

Her feline companion sighed. Minako might be the inner senshi's leader, she was still a teenage girl. Even as one of the Earth guardians and warriors, she still had needs as a young woman. Having friends, loved ones, feeling like she had a normal life was among those, and Artemis could respect that.

But still, even regular people had responsibilities and Minako wasn't immune to that.

"Even so, you really need to… Mina, look out…!"

"Huh?"

Lost in her thought, Minako had started walking on the crosswalk without realizing the pedestrian traffic light had turned red. Screeching tires could be heard as Minako fell to the ground.

"Mina!"

The scooter stopped right before it could hit Minako. The driver had pulled over just in time.

"Hey, you, on the ground. Are you hurt?"

The voice sounded low and husky, yet it was definitely belonging to a woman.

"I… I'm alright, thanks…"

Minako raised her head, to discover an older woman sitting on the scooter, maybe in her mid-twenties. Her skin was a tone darker than Setsuna's, she had long dark auburn hair and was dressed like a businesswoman. She suddenly removed her helmet and glasses and, despite her previous question, she looked absolutely pissed off.

"What the hell were you thinking about!?" the driver yelled as she got down her scooter.

"Eh?"

"I nearly hit you! What would have happened if I didn't stop in time!?" the woman continued, grabbing Minako by the collar and forcing her to stand up. "Don't you watch where you're going? I could have seriously injured you, or even worst!"

Now that they were face to face, Minako could get a closer look at the woman. She was tall, very tall. Probably as tall as Haruka, if it wasn't more. Her eyes were dark brown and fierce, her lips were luscious and covered in a heavy red lipstick. She what undeniably pretty- but also really angry and scary right now.

"Tsk, that's why I hate brats… no, that would be an insult to kids. Even kindergarteners know how traffic lights work and when to cross the street," the woman continued with a more condescending tone.

"Huh!?"

Minako's fear started to turn into annoyance when the woman started to insult her. She slapped her hand away to break free from her clutch around her collar.

"Excuse me!? You're the one who drove way too fast near a crosswalk! If anything, you're a danger on the road!" Minako accused.

"Eh!? There was nothing wrong with my driving! If there was, I wouldn't have been able to pull over-"

"If you weren't driving way over the speed limit you wouldn't have to stop in extremis like that and nearly hit me!"

"I wasn't over the speed limit…! And besides, it's your fault for crossing the street when the pedestrian traffic light was red!"

"I don't know, sounds like an excuse for your nearly attempted manslaughter…"

"...What!?"

"You heard me! You should consider yourself lucky I'm not calling my lawyer on you!" Minako exclaimed.

At this comment, the woman let out a sneer.

"As if a puny middle schooler could hire a lawyer…"

"I'm in high school…!"

"I should be the one calling your parents and telling them their daughter is a moron who can't even cross the street safely."

"Hey, leave my parents out of this! You're the one who should drive more carefully! Why were you in such a hurry that you nearly roll over beautiful me? Late to work? Going on a date? Huh?"

"Eh? Uh…"

Much to Minako's surprise, the woman looked away, a light blush on her cheeks.

"That's… none of your business!" she eventually said as she went back on her scooter. "Anyway, just be careful. Next time, you might not be as lucky, kiddo."

She put back her sunglasses and helmet and before Minako could retort anything back, she drove away.

"Urgh, what a despicable woman!" Minako shouted. "Who does she think she is!?"

"She might have been unnecessarily rude, but she is right that you should be more careful," Artemis said.

"On whose side are you?!"

"One yours of course! That's why I want you to be more careful, Mina!"

"Tsk…! Anyway, I still want to pass by Rei-chan's place… But still, what a dreadful woman… I sure hope I will never see her ever again!"

This feeling of dread wouldn't leave Rei alone. It was like there was a shadow constantly lurking near them but she just couldn't quite see it. But no matter how many times Rei tried to do divination in the sacred fire, all she managed to perceive in the flame was this shadowy presence. She may not be able to know what it was, but she knew something ominous was definitely lurking in the dark.

" Is this a bad omen? A new enemy? After Chaos, what could possibly threaten us? I have a bad feeling about this… "

It was pointless to continue staring at the flames if she couldn't see anything more. But Rei wasn't sure if she should tell the others about it yet. What if it was nothing to be worried about? After their victory against Galaxia and Chaos, everyone was enjoying their newfound peace, and the last thing she would want was to worry them with something that might be nothing.

" They deserve to enjoy this peace they fought for. If anything, I might be the one overreacting. I should keep watching out for any threats without stressing everyone out in case it turns out to be nothing to be worried about. "

Rei sighed and put back on her miko outfit. No matter how she tried to convince herself, she couldn't appease the trouble in her heart.

Caw! Caw! Caw!

Rei winced. Those noises, they were birds cries! More specifically, crows'.

"Phobos, Deimos!?"

She rushed outside, worried for her guardian crows. Was there a threat? Did someone attack them? Was it the new enemy?

"Phobos, Deimos! Where are you? Are you alright!?"

Caw! Caw! Caw!

Rei never heard them cry that way. They sounded… scared- no, terrified. They were usually never scared of evil and always ready to fight it to protect her against any threat, no matter how dangerous it was.

"Phobos, Deimos…?"

Just like a gust of wind the two crows flew past her, hiding in a nearby tree. One of them dropped by a feather in its hurry.

"You two... what's got into you…? Huh?"

It was at this moment that Rei noticed the woman. She was standing her back to her, her long hair flying in the wind. Even just from her back, the priestess could see the woman was wearing a business suit.

"Who... Who are you!?"

The woman tensed for a moment but didn't flinch. She then turned back and Rei noticed the scooter near her. The woman was holding a phone and wearing sunglasses.

"Ah, you must be the shrine maiden of this temple," the woman said. "Sorry, I had to stop to answer a phone call."

"You… you scared the crows…" Rei mumbled.

"Eh? Oh, those birds… Yeah, it was strange. Crows don't do that usually, right? I never heard one yell like that."

Rei remained on her guards. She didn't sense anything evil coming from that woman, but it seemed like she did scare Phobos and Deimos in some way. They didn't attack her so she was probably not an enemy, but it was still odd. Just who was this woman… an ordinary civilian, or was there something abnormal, or even cosmic about her?

"You still haven't answered my question," Rei insisted. "Who are-"

"Rei-chan, there you are! You weren't at your place so I looked around. What are you doing here- Ah! You again!?"

Rei wasn't surprised to see Minako here. She was however surprised to see that her friend apparently knew that woman. And judging by her tone and expression, they were not on friendly terms.

"Tsk, that should be my line," the woman retorted.

"Are you following me!?" Minako accused. "Don't tell me you actually want to tell my parents about that incident?!"

"Wait, what incident?" Rei asked.

"As if I have time to waste following around some kid," the woman spat. "That's just a coincidence. Unlike what you think, I'm a responsible driver and I pull over when my phone ring to answer."

"As if! You're a reckless driver going above the speed limit and nearly hitting poor defenceless beautiful young women such as myself!"

"Wait what!?" Rei exclaimed.

"None of what she said is true!" the woman protested.

"How dare you deny that I'm beautiful!?"

"Minako-chan that's not the main point here…"

"I was driving normally and you're the imbecile who crossed the street where you weren't supposed to without even looking! Don't go blaming me for your own stupidity!"

"No no you were the one in a hurry to go on a date or something!"

"W-What…? N-No..!"

Noticing the woman's sudden embarrassment, Minako smirked.

"Eh, is that so? And that phone call right now, was it from your date? Is that why you bothered to pull over to answer instead of just ignoring it?" Minako teased.

The woman adjusted her sunglasses like she was trying to hide her shame behind them.

"It's… none of your business…"

"Huh… Well, I guess I can't see such a dreadful woman having a boyfriend anyway so you must be right…"

"What are you saying…!? Tsk, whatever. Think what you, I don't have time for a brat like you," the woman replied before she turned back. "Anyway, I don't recall saying the person I was meeting with was a man…"

The woman got back on her scooter.

"Eh?" Minako said.

But before she could ask her to specify, the woman drove away.

"What does she mean by that… So she's not going on a date?" Minako said. "Well, who could date such an unpleasant woman? I guess she's just meeting up with a friend then…"

"Minako-chan, what's this incident thing about?" Rei immediately asked.

"Oh, nothing to be worried about! Anyway, Rei-chan, we haven't been able to see each other a lot so I thought I could pass by! Are you busy?"

Rei glanced at the tree where she last saw her crows, still feeling troubled.

"No, I'm free," Rei replied.

"Yay!"

"Usagi-chan, maybe it's time for you to go home now…"

"Not now, Luna!" Usagi protested. "I want to see who her boyfriend is…"

"Who's boyfriend…?"

Usagi nearly jumped and turned back, only to be signed in relief.

"Mako-chan, Ami-chan, you startled me…"

Her two friends looked at her with confusion.

"What are you doing here, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked. "Usually at that time you're already at home."

"Eh… what about you, huh!?" Usagi replied back.

"You know I have cram class after school. Then I met Mako-chan and we decided to walk home together."

"You're really starting to sound suspicious, Usagi-chan…" Makoto added.

"Usagi-chan has been following that woman for nearly an hour now," Luna revealed.

"Luna!"

"Eh!?" Both Ami and Makoto exclaimed in unison.

They then looked around they spotted a woman sitting on a bench- a true beauty. Worthy to feature on a fashion model magazine front cover.

"Woah…" Makoto simply said.

"Usagi-chan, I know you tend to run after handsome boys, but I didn't know you'd the same with beautiful women… other than Haruka-san," Ami said with a slight blush.

"It's… it's not what you think!" Usagi denied, embarrassed. "I met her earlier and she mentioned her lover, so I was just curious to see what her boyfriend looked like! Such a gorgeous woman, she must have some really hot boyfriend, don't you think?"

"Ah, you're probably right. I want to see him too now," Makoto said with a sparkle of interest in her eyes.

"Mako-chan too now…" Luna said, discouraged.

"I feel bad for Mamoru-san," Ami added, before looking back at the woman. "I feel like I saw her somewhere…"

"Ah! It's her! I can't believe it! You guys, it's her!"

They were interrupted by a visibly excited Minako, followed by a less enthusiastic Artemis as well as Rei.

"Eh? You know this woman?" Usagi asked.

"What? You don't? Have you been living under a rock?" Minako replied. "It's Aya Reiko! She's a TV idol! She recently gained fame on the media on various talk shows and interviews!"

"Really!? She's a celebrity!?" Usagi exclaimed.

"No wonder, with that kind of aura," Makoto added.

"Ah, that must be where I saw her, on TV," Ami said.

"So you've been following an idol around for an hour without realizing it, Usagi-chan," Luna teased.

"Usagi-chan has been following Aya-san for an hour!? Wow, good taste, Usagi-chan!" Minako complimented.

"So you got tired of running after boys and went after girls. I can't fault you for that, but I do feel bad for Mamoru-san," Rei added.

"That's not that! You got it all wrong! I just wanna see what her boyfriend looks like-"

"Aya-san, a boyfriend!? That's epic news! Usagi-chan, you might get us the best scoop of the year!" Minako said. "And I'm also curious to see what kind of guys managed to get with this beauty…"

"They are incorrigible," Artemis said.

"They sure are," Luna agreed.

Their excitement was short-lived as they heard the whirring of a scooter. Minako immediately looked annoyed.

"Don't tell me… her again!?" Minako let out.

"That woman from the temple earlier…?" Rei added.

The scooter stopped by and the driver got up. Usagi remained dazed. It was a woman, very tall, well dressed, and quite frankly, very pretty. And most importantly, she was heading towards Aya Reiko.

"What is she doing here," Minako growled.

"Huh? You know her?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, she's a rude and unpleasant woman who nearly hit me with her scooter and followed me to Rei-chan's place!"

"I think that was a coincidence," Rei said.

"Anyway, she was going to meet someone, definitely not her boyfriend because what kind of guy would want to date such a dreadful woman… Not like Aya-san who's the perfect woman, pretty, sweet, funny and popular and on top of that an idol!" Minako said with a dreamy expression.

As she said that, the scooter driver was now right in front of Aya Reiko.

"Ah!? Don't tell me she's about to go bother Aya-san!?" Minako said angrily. "Who does she think she is… Uh?"

With a warm expression, Reiko rose up and gently hugged the woman.

"Karasuma-san! Sorry for the delay, I got lost on my way here."

"There's no need to apologize, Reiko. I also got delayed by… a few things."

All the inner senshi remained dumbfounded, unable to fully grasp what was going on until Minako finally broke the silence.

"Well, I stand by my words," she said. "I see no boyfriend here."

This fic idea started with my Sailor Moon ship one-shot Fated to be Reunited if you're interested. It's a Crow x Seiren fic. If you enjoyed this fic please let me know, and thanks for reading!